Paris grants Netanyahu immunity for role in Lebanon ceasefire, French magazine says – World

PARIS, November 29. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron has agreed not to execute the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in exchange for his involvement in negotiating a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, according to an article in the French news magazine. The Pointciting a source close to Macron.

The report said that shortly after the ICC issued its arrest warrant, Macron had a telephone conversation with Netanyahu, during which he acknowledged that Paris was obliged to respect the ICC and cooperate fully. However, Macron also pointed out that the ICC statutes contain provisions providing immunity from arrest warrants in certain cases, according to the source.

During the conversation, the two leaders discussed the ceasefire agreement, with France agreeing to play a key role in the committee overseeing the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. ‘UN. This resolution governs the situation along the Israeli-Lebanese border. The Point report emphasizes that during this discussion, the latest disagreements between France and Israel were resolved. An Israeli source revealed that Netanyahu’s immunity was actually the price to pay for France’s involvement in the ceasefire agreement.

Earlier, the French Foreign Ministry confirmed that Netanyahu would not be detained on French soil, despite the arrest warrant issued by the ICC. Under French law, ministers, including Netanyahu, enjoy immunity, which would be taken into account if the ICC requests their arrest or extradition.

On November 27, the first ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon entered into force since the start of hostilities in October 2023. Under the terms of the agreement, a joint committee will be created to monitor the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701, with the participation of the United States, France and the United Kingdom.

On November 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Palestine, including the Gaza Strip, between October 8. , 2023 and May 20, 2024.